Don’t worry. I’m here to help you pick. In my Gym Comparison Series, I put each gym brand against one of their top competitors and break down the price, equipment, classes, and full pros and cons of each.

In this piece, we’ll dive deep into Crunch vs Planet Fitness.

Let’s go!

What is Crunch Fitness?

Crunch Fitness is what I would call a convenience gym.

Meaning, it’s inexpensive, easy to find, and gives you pretty much everything you need for a great workout at a reasonable price.

These kinds of gyms are popping up more and more frequently for busy folks who don’t want to shell out top dollar to join an elite fitness club.

Crunch has been around in some form since 1989, and now features over 265 franchised locations through the United States and Canada.

At most Crunch locations, you’ll find group fitness classes, free weights, plenty of cardio equipment, and a welcoming attitude… The chain’s tagline is “No Judgments.”

What is Planet Fitness?

Planet Fitness and Crunch are remarkably similar in some ways, as you’ll see when we dive into the full comparison below.

Planet Fitness is also an affordable, convenience-style gym with plenty of cardio options and a “Judgment Free Zone,” state of mind.

They even share a purple theme!

PF started up in 1992, right around the same time as Crunch, only its grown to a quite massive scale since then.

There are over 1,000 Planet Fitness locations in the United States, nearly 5 times as many as Crunch offers.

Chances are, there’s a Planet Fitness within a few miles of your home or office.

Cost

Crunch Fitness Cost: Crunch, like many fitness clubs, is a franchise, so each location may have some flexibility in their pricing and benefits.

But in general, basic access to just your one local Crunch Fitness will run you a scant $10 per month. The next option up costs $19.95 per month and lets you go to any Crunch location, plus it gives you access to the group fitness classes.

The top-level membership, for around $30 per month, includes all of that plus tanning, hydromassage, and guest benefits where available.

There’s also an annual fee at most Crunch clubs, which will vary by location.

But from my research you could expect to pay around $40 per year in addition to your club membership, a fee which goes toward equipment maintenance, upkeep, and upgrades.

Planet Fitness Cost: Pricing at Planet Fitness is similar to Crunch, and it’s apparent that these two gyms are priced to compete with one another directly.

Basic access to one Planet Fitness location will run you about $10 per month (or $15 for month-to-month with no contract).

To get access to any PF location, you’ll pay around $20 per month, plus a start-up fee that will vary by location.

It’s hard to declare a more budget-friendly option. Both Crunch and Planet Fitness are some of the least expensive gym chains you’ll find, and both feature nearly identical pricing.

Though fees and options may vary depending on location, on cost, these two chains are a tie.

Equipment

These gyms usually have an absolute ton of cardio, along with a well-stocked dumbbell rack and free weights to go along with a power rack or two.

Don’t expect this to be some beefy powerlifting gym, but for recreational lifters, they should enough to keep you busy.

Planet Fitness: Planet Fitness is notoriously biased toward cardio.

You’ll find an absolute ton of treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and stair steppers, but a very limited weighlifting section.

Planet Fitness usually has a limited dumbbell rack and a Smith machine, but no free Olympics weights or power rack equipment.

Classes

Crunch Fitness classes: Most Crunch Fitness locations have a pretty impressive class schedule for group fitness (remember, though, that the basic $10/month membership won’t get you into the classes. You’ll need to bump your membership up a notch to participate).

Childcare

Check with your local gym to see if they are a participating location.

As far as cost, you can either pay $4 for the day for your child to stay with the child care staff, or your child can “join” the gym with you for a monthly fee of around $30. It’s not cheap, but sometimes it’s the only way to get a workout in!

About Me

Hi there! My name is Evan. I’m a dad and 30-something-year-old fitness enthusiast. I started this site to share all of the best information and products I could find on my way to better health and a stronger body. I hope it helps you, too!

Disclosure: I may receive commissions or advertising fees from products and brands mentioned on the Trusty Spotter. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. But I always stand by the research and recommendations that I provide here.